The US Senate has introduced the GUARD Act, a bill that would ban the use of chatbots based on artificial intelligence by people under the age of 18. The document would also require companies to verify the age of users by uploading government documents or other technological methods, including facial scanning, reports NBC News.
The new bill could require all companies working in the field of artificial intelligence to verify the age of each user of their chatbots. The initiative was introduced by Senators Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, and Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut.
The initiative came a few weeks after Senate hearings, during which parents and safety experts expressed concerns about the impact of chatbots on children. According to the document, companies that provide such services would have to require users to upload ID or undergo alternative verification through “smart” methods, including facial scanning.
In addition, according to the bill, chatbots would be required to remind users every 30 minutes that they are not human, as well as implement protections against the possibility of impersonating a person. This provision is similar to the AI safety law recently passed in California.
The document also prohibits the use of chatbots that create sexual content for minors or encourage suicide.
